Sunday, August 4, 2013

We had been talking about it all spring and summer, maybe longer and we had collected up all the supplies needed to dye wool roving.

We used Jaquard dyes, watched youtube videos and used a library book to try to figure out how to do it.

I was exhausted the day we did it, there was so much to figure out.

We had this soaking wet noodle of 4 oz. of wool fiber, trying to wrap it up in plastic wrap, with dye oozing out and mixing where we didn't want it to mix. Then trying to steam it in a water bath in the oven, unwrapping it when it was too hot to touch.

We finally got it all stretched out in the sun to dry and I thought mine was too washed out. I had left too much water in it before I added dye. (you have to soak the fiber first) I still felt like that the next day, so I re-dyed the fiber. Meg was pretty sure I was going to felt it from all the handling and water baths, but I thought, well, than I will use the felted roving for another project.

I am very happy to report however that it appears that I did not felt the fiber.

Now, I have to wait for Meg to spin it up for me. Lucky I am that Meg has discovered a previously unknown talent for spinning--she is a whiz at it!!! She got a spinning wheel last fall and is a dab hand at spinning. I tried it and thought I had grown at least two more thumbs, I was so very clumsy. It is kind of like rubbing your tummy, patting your head and spinning at the same time.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Every summer, the girls and I have tried to have a project to work on. This year we decided to put on a Medieval Fest for the family. When the day came we set up in part of our back yard with tents, tables and fire. Emily was in charge of archery and hair. I made dresses for both the girls and myself and an execution's hood for J. Meg knit and spun. We had a ton of fun getting ready for it, though the girls dresses were *yikes* fitted. We made soap, bound notebooks and wrote with a nibbed pen and walnut ink.

I learned how to card weave, also known as tablet weaving. I made a loom from scrap lumber and used playing cards to hold the threads in a pattern.

I didn't take any pictures that day, I wish I had because I made itty-bitty pies and we grilled sausages over the fire. We even had a trader's fair, where we had some of the things we had made. The few pictures we have at least include one of our plague victims that came. :-)

Friday, August 2, 2013

We vacationed in northern Michigan in late June and even if it was a little warmer than usual up there we enjoyed getting away. The beach is a rock-strewn one near the Pt. Betsie lighthouse.

It was kind of foggy on this early morning.

We liked Charlevoix where there are stone houses that were built by Earl Young.

The curving roofs and huge rounded stones are an inspiration.

The knitting is a warm cowl for winter. I think the yarn is Jojoland. I love the barber-poling I am using the leftovers to make finger-less mitts. More details are on my Ravelry page soon. But you can probably figure out that my "soon" won't be very timely. It will get on there, tho!